Italy’s Meloni warns of NATO uncertainty, urges Europe to boost security role

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni warned Monday of uncertainty over future US engagement in NATO, urging Europe to strengthen its own security capacity, as she called on the European Union to better anticipate crises.

Speaking at a European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, Meloni said discussions in the United States about a possible disengagement from Europe underscore the need for the EU to take greater responsibility for its own defense.

“I can’t say what will happen,” Meloni told reporters at the summit. “We know that for some time the United States has been discussing a disengagement from Europe, which is why I think we must strengthen our security and increase our capacity to respond from this point of view.”

The Italian premier added that she would not support a US withdrawal from Italy or other European countries. “Clearly, it is a choice that does not depend on me and that I personally would not agree with,” she said.

Meloni underscored Italy’s record within the alliance, saying Rome has consistently fulfilled its commitments, including in missions where its direct national interests were not at stake.

“Italy has always upheld its commitments, including within NATO, even when our direct interests were not involved, as we did in Afghanistan and Iraq,” she said.

More broadly, Meloni called on the EU to “raise the level” of its response to mounting global challenges, arguing the bloc must move beyond reacting to emergencies.

“The European Union has shown it can respond to emergencies, but now it is time that it raises its game and moves from reacting to being able to anticipate them,” she said.

She warned that failure to manage crises risks eroding public trust in democratic institutions. “When citizens perceive that major challenges are not governed, they lose trust in institutions,” she said.

Meloni also criticized aspects of the EU’s long-term strategy, saying it “should not focus only on countries that think alike but also on our geographic neighborhood,” calling for greater attention to the wider Mediterranean, including Africa.

She linked Europe’s security challenges to instability in neighboring regions and energy supply concerns, noting many geopolitical pressures originate in areas critical to Europe’s energy needs.

Meloni was due to travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, later Monday to discuss alternative gas and oil supplies as part of what she described as a “diplomacy of energy.”